A Washington, D.C.-based think tank is out with a report looking at the degree to which high-tech innovation contributes to the economy in each of the nation’s 435 Congressional districts. Iowa’s four districts are showing large numbers for the exports of high-tech manufactured goods and intellectual property.

The Cedar Rapids police officer who shot a black man during a traffic stop last month, leaving him paralyzed, will not be charged with a crime. Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden says a grand jury decided there wasn’t enough evidence to indict Officer Lucas Jones in the shooting of Jerime Mitchell.

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Gov. Terry Branstad to serve as U.S. ambassador to China, pending Senate confirmation. The word from the Trump transition team comes a day after the two men met at Trump Tower in New York City.

If Branstad becomes ambassador, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds would become the first woman to serve as Iowa governor.

Harmonious Wail paid a visit to The Folk Tree on Sunday, December 4th. This Madison, Wisconsin-based trio has traveled the world sharing their gypsy/jazz/acoustic/swing sounds. Graced by the exquisite vocals of Maggie Delaney-Pothoff and the sparkling mandolin of Sims Delaney-Pothoff, and anchored by the virtuoso bass playing of Jeff Weiss, their music brightened the winter afternoon for us. Learn more about them at wail.com.

The Iowa Board of Regents has selected Mark Nook to be the 11th president of the University of Northern Iowa. Nook is a native of Holstein, and received his undergraduate degree from Iowa State. Since 2014, he has been the chancellor of Montana State University-Billings, which has a student body about one-third the size of UNI’s 12,000 student population.

Whether you’re grateful for the warm cup of coffee in your hands or for another day of life, the act of being grateful can be powerful. Many question whether the act of being grateful can have physical benefits as well.

A report issued Tuesday gives an early glimpse at how well the state’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation Program is working. The study indicates improved classroom instruction, which is yet to show up in the form of improved student achievement.

The Des Moines-based financial services company Principal Financial Group is projecting steady growth during 2017. The expectations follow a pattern of revenue increases the company has seen over the past several years.

Update Dec. 7 at 8:09 am: Several news reports quote unnamed sources saying President-elect Trump has offered the ambassadorship to Branstad and that he has accepted. Gov. Branstad's spokesman, Ben Hammes, tells IPR the report is "premature and not confirmed." We will update this story as we learn more.

Tuesday's story:

Governor Branstad had what he calls a cordial conversation today with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York City.

But the governor remains mum about a possible appointment in the new administration.

With the lawsuits between North Carolina and the Department of Justice and widespread boycotts of establishments like Target for their inclusive bathroom policies, transgender rights have been dominating the news cycle. In the middle of the politics and punditry, it's easy to lose sight of what being transgender actually means. Jay Irwin, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, says language is a good place to start.

Coloring books published for grown ups have become increasingly popular over the last few years. Mark Muller, an Iowa city based artist who just published his first coloring book through University of Iowa Press, jokes that when he first heard about the trend, he misunderstood what was going on.

"When I first heard of the adult coloring trend, I thought it was pornographic," he laughs. "Then I realized it meant coloring books for adults. I think it's a really cool thing."

Protesters gathered at the offices of the Iowa Utilities Board on Monday to celebrate the Army Corps of Engineers stopping pipeline construction in North Dakota. Iowa’s Bakken Pipeline Resistance Coalition also delivered a letter to the state utilities board, urging it to revoke the pipeline’s Iowa permit.

The Army Corps’s decision to not allow the pipeline to cross a reservoir near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation is not a fatal blow to Dakota Access. The pipeline could be rerouted, and the Corps’s decision may be appealed.

An Iowa woman says she ended her two-week fast in protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline last night. Jessica Reznicek had a bowl of chicken soup after the Army Corps of Engineers denied an easement that puts completion of pipeline construction at an impasse.

The Army Corps has denied permission of pipeline construction for a section of the route in North Dakota. But it said the pipeline may be rerouted, so Reznicek is continuing her efforts to oppose Dakota Access, including a Wednesday sit-in at the utilities board.

“I think we need a completely fresh look at tax policy in this state top to bottom and we're going to go through that,” Hagenow said. “Fundamentally, it’s 'are we going to find a way to reduce the tax burden of Iowa taxpayers?'”

The University of Northern Iowa is in the process of hiring a new President after former President William Ruud resigned to take another position with Marietta College in Ohio. The City of Des Moines is considering hiring a bicycle liaison to ensure that pedestrian and cyclist safety are addressed in city planning, and an entirely re-imagined version of the Nutcracker is debuting in Iowa this week.

As he prepares to leave Washington, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack warns the next administration about the impact of global markets on U. S. farmers.

Vilsack is quick to point out he’s not privy to any information from the Republican president-elect, but he’s worried about how Donald Trump will approach immigration and trade. Vilsack says bad decisions could spur retaliation from China and Mexico—two of the top three trading partners for the U.S.

The Iowa Reading Research Center is out with the results of a study into the effectiveness of summer reading programs. The report comes as every school district in the state approaches a deadline to enact some form of summer reading program.

All 902 plow trucks owned by the Iowa Department of Transportation now equipped with a new GPS system. It allows vehicles to gather all sorts of data, which the DOT will use for clearing Iowa’s roadways of snow and ice more efficiently.

Craig Bargfrede heads DOT winter operations. This new system costs about $850,000, but Bargfrede says the upgrade will pay for itself in time and money savings.

'Tis the season for giving. What better gift than a book? During this hour of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe talks with Barb Stein and Sarah Prineas of Prairie Lights Books, and Jerri Heid of the Ames Public Library about the best new books to give this year.

A tax break Iowans enjoy on digitally-delivered goods is under consideration at the statehouse.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Revenue today briefed a panel of state lawmakers who are charged with reviewing the tax credits that cost the state treasury hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

DOR economist Amy Harris said Iowans currently do not pay sales tax when they download e-books, movies, or software from the internet.

Holiday marimba music is here! Iowa Public Radio’s Performance Iowa is excited to present internationally acclaimed percussionist Matthew Coley’s Heartland Marimba Festival holiday program live from Studio One in Cedar Falls. His solo spectacular will feature beautiful holiday favorites that he has arranged for this tour. Check out this festive edition of Performance Iowa right here!